Contributed By: Mary Ann Tolman Summers · 14 May 2013
Salmon, Idaho
Jan. 23., 1948
Sketch of the life of Benjamin Hewett Tolman (the third). Autographed by his own hand sitting in the chair which his Father sat in the latter part of his life in Honeyville Utah.
B. H. Tolman., the -third., was born in a little rock house owned by Allen G. Hunsaker on the 27 day of May 1880 son of B. H. Tolman the second and Eliza Belle Grant. My Mother was 21 and Father was 27. I was the second child in a family of 11 children., 13 including Polly and Austin; Aunt Mary Nelley Smith Tolman two children by Father.
I was schooled in the little rock school house Which was used for church and ward hall as well as for school. When I was between 8 or 9 I received an injury from which I have suffered all my life. 1 think if it hadn’t been for the faith of my parents and the power of the Priesthood I would not have lived. I heard Father and Mother talking about me; Father said, “I can not give him up I feel like he has a mission on this earth.” Hearing this it pepped me up and helped me to swallow the lump that would collect in my throat when I would try to play or do things like my companions. I did not go to school but a very after I was hurt. I was so nervous I could not sit-still in the school room so I got my education on a pony which I was always fortunate in having. Uncle Bruce (mother’s brother) who I was with more than anyone else, I believe, would see that I had a horse of some kind to ride.
I went to tend sheep for Uncle Israel Hunsaker when I – was 17 thinking it would help my health. He usually lambed a bunch in sheds across from our home. He was always trying to get my folks to let me go out on the range; said it would do me more good than anything I was always pestering the folks to let me go. Finally in the spring when I was 17; I was on my way to the sheep lip near Blind Spring. I stayed with the sheep most of the time for four or five years excepting the Winter. They finally had to bring me home, one fall day after a wet summer so crippled with rheumatism I could not tie my own shoes. The folks took me to a doctor in Brigham City he said I had to quit eating meat coffee, alum –ind baking powder bread and stay dry. That was about the last of my sheep herding days until my boys got me in the business
Father was always talking about starting, me in the mercantile business Uncle Dell thought he could see a future in groceries so built a nice little store West of where the post office now stands. I thought I could see a chance to go in with him and run a wagon out among the – sheep herders I sold all my belongings and went in with Uncle Dell Father fixed an old white top buggy one that could be locked up. I loaded in a bunch of sheep herder supplies and started for blue Creek (Uncle Louise Grant was head quarter for the whole country around Blue Creek Blue Greek was alive with sheep before dry farming began in spring and fall.
After I made two trips I decided it was -no good as the herders never had any money on them and their bosses were not around. So I decided to try the Farmers delivering them anything I could haul and got a little encourgement on the first trip, so kept at it until fall.
In the Fall I signed a note with James Bowcutt at Collinstoon along with father for a new -Studabaker wagon that father built. A sheep camp affair and loaded wagon – on with steps on the back, {then I setting on the moon. I then went about 10 months and fire wiped out our store Dell said . “It looks like an end to our partnership. If you think you can
keep going I Would like you to have What you have in the Wagon.” Father was lying on his back at this time in the Hospital in Salt Lake City in a critical condition after being burned in the power plant in Bear River Canyon I went down to see him and he said. “You go back to Brigham City put your trouble up to Brother Blackburn (who Was an old family friend was also -in the grocery business ) He said, “You come down here after each trip and I will fill your wagon with groceries. Take orders for anything you can haul. I will help you all I can.” So I went on my own for two or three years when Father decided to buy the Honneyville store, if I was willing to go with him. We bought it from Ben Hunsaker, and that was the commencement of the Tolman and Sons Merc. Co. Which I think was a good thing for the family. I still ran the wagon getting rid of a lot of candy, gum, and part of the Word of Wisdom; Everything but alcoholic beverages. It used to worry Father to have to sell tobacco, so he put up a sign which read something like this: We have tobacco that is true which we are forced to sell to you; Gents remember ladies are near, do your smoking away from here The old store was west of railroad tracks with rock first or ground floor with frame upper story which was used for school when it was first built with steps on outside to the west.
I think it would be well to relate an account of Mother’s illness. On one trip previous to this time I was not in Bear River City by William Hunsaker Who SM. “You should hurry on home your mother passed away about an hour ago”.
YOU can imagine my trip from there to home. When I arrived I was informed Father’s faith and the power of the Priesthood brought her to life when or after they had sent out word that she was dead. I never saw such faith as Father had. I have seen him fast when some of us was sick and he would not break his fasting until he could see a turn for the better and Mother’s faith was equal to his, I believe. On October 6 or 7, 190? I was Married to Ellen Wheatley in the Salt bake Temple. We went in the temple at ON a.m. and did not get out until 5 p.m. – It being the next day after conference there wore sure a jam of people from all over the world. Ellen didn’t have any one from her side of the house I sure had quite a fight Getting her Father and Mother Wheatley to Rive her up, they were not going to give her up for such trash. You could Hardly blame them because she was the only one that kept Things moving in the Wheatley home; as her mother’s health would not allow her to do anything in the house but could work all day in the garden. Men was like her father when A came to work. Bishop Motley, was bishop A the ward, helped the flour Mill, his farm, as well as delivered mill stuff all over the valley.
Some time previous to our marriage me purchased the old school house, east of the track. Father built a couple of rooms in the rear of the school house and had it ready or almost when we got back from our trip or wedding tour, which was one night after we were married which we spent in a hotel north of the temple. Our furniture cost us 190 and some cents I believe outside of the stove but we were quite cosily located after a few days.
Mother Wheatley was sure sweet to us, She was on the job like it was her own. We lived in the old store or what ever you call it only a short time when we, tore up for a store which was added on the front and build a warehouse on the back where we camped for sometime. We purchased the two room brick house built by Uncle John G. Wheatly on the north of the Stanley lot across from Uncle Jeddies
On the 25 July 1911 a boy was born to his parents after his mother had labored for about 15 to 16 hours. Aunt Mary Tolman said, “Hewett we have got to have help. Go get your father’. I ran down to the store and told him come quick as it looked like Elen was about to give up; it seemed like father would never get there. Mother, Aunt Tory, Sister Wheatley and all were crying When Father came in we all got around the, bed and told the Lord our trouble. We had hardly got our lands off her head when Ralph Wheatley let us know he had come to town.
The late fall after Ralph was born I was inducted by my Thatcher friends to buy Calvin Booth’s 40 acres. I got father’s consent to pull out of the store as I always did want some land now as I had a son and thought this was a good time to start. lay and Jenny was at the store along with all the rest of the Tolman’s in-laws and out-laws and thought it would be an asset to get rid of the scrub So somtime in December I bid adieu to Honeyville.
We spent the first winter in A little across from the Thatcher church where the Thatcher school house now stands. In the early spring I built a 1 bedroom house the east part of the old home where Anderson Cash Store now functions. I moved a shack from the farm up in front of the new two rooms and used it for a store. Ellen run the store while I rode- over the hills hauling freight lit until about the time Ralph was two years old when we discovered a growth on Ellens breasts took her, to Dr. Whitlock in Tremonton. He said, “Nothing to be alarmed about, growths on the breast are common things, A may not hurt just let it alone unless it grows in” I think in September we noticed it was three times as large so went back to thee doctor. He said, “We will have to take it out before it roots down.” In about three, hours we had her on the operating table and discovered it had roots all through the breast so decided to remove the breast. She got along fine for about six weeks when it started to bother her again. Doctors said that it was best to take away the other breast we consulted all the doctors in Brigham, Tremonton and Garland. Grandpa Wheatley had. Hyrum Smith come up from Salt Lake City. Hyrum was 1st cousin to Ellen and was the church Patriarch and Ili Grandma Wheatly. tic- gave her a blessing is mother was a Gibbs sister to Grandma and said that we should take her to Salt Lake City to the LDS Hospital as the best cancer doctors in the west, were there. Hyrum lived just across the street so said we would stay with him while staying in Salt Lake about one week.
Doctor said, “we can do nothing for her. She cannot live more. Had a certain length of time because the cancer is all through her blood and roots are all growing around her vital organ. It is left to her loved ones and the Lord.” They gave her dope- to relieve her pain but the – hypos did no good after a while.
The only rest she got was from the Priesthood. We would rebuke the pain and she would rest for a short time then the same thing over. Grandma Wheatly hardly left her bedside or room and was in the chair most of -the time Mother was there I think the last month and the neighbors were glorious to us. Bishop Watt and his wife can never be paid for what hey did for us.
On March 22, 1914 at 1:00p.m. She said,, I can stand it no longer finish it., finish it.” her father dedicated her to the Lord and she died with a smile on her face. It few hours before while setting in a chair a baby boy was born. There was a house full. At the time and we knew nothing until we saw the water stains. The doctor was there. He said if the baby was alive it could smother so we buried her with her babe in her arm. Services were held in Thatcher and Honeyville She was hauled by horse power from Thatcher to Honeyville which took 113 over two hours previous to Ellen’s death we buried. Grandina, Grant, Grandma Wheatly, Father and Uncle Jay. Five of my loved ones in four years. It seemed as though Ralph was not supposed to stay with Big as he was at his death bed at least four times. Twice he was fished out of the canal, once with blood poisoning, once while on a load of hay a team runaway tipped the hay on top of him. He was dug out as limp as, a rag and did not come to until- after we had a doctor come from Tremonbon. This time it scared him so bad that he never tried it again.
On June 6, 1917 in the Logan Temple I was married to Emily Louise Knowles who has filled the vacancy to the satisfaction of everyone concerned, even her Heavenly Father. ther. Two Angels! How will I know flow -to live with such in the spirit world. With the knowledge and ability I have GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH.
Emily has brought me 9 fine children — 6 boys and 3 girls. Tile firstborn will be 30 years old on April 5, 1948 and little Louise was 10 last August.
Jackie David, our baby boy 13 last December, has WALKED 23 miles DOWN and back all WINTER to catch the- bus along, with Rex 16. They Say it is too cold to ride a horse and of course they WARM up when they get in the van. They have to double up BECAUSE the bus is so crowded. Jack, is so little ALL THE short girls like to hold him; JUST the OPPOSITE With Rex. HE LIKES to do THE HOLDING.
The rest of YOU or all of you know more from here on than Dad or Mother. We are just alike – I LIKE to pass on WHAT I know and Mother likes -to keep what she knows – I have tried to get her to help me with this but all I call get is a grunt.
I am sitting in a chair the sons and daughters gave us for Christmas. It is so comfortable it is always in use. If I get up, a second later someone else flops into it, and then I have to use another. Come see us. You can even have a chance at living on borrowed property. We can look out of the kitchen window and see the ice floating by. It was 4 degrees below zero this morning. I would have gone fishing but my car (Mother) would not start.
Anyone wishing to see for themselves:
House number 3 River St., Truly,
Dog Avenue, Hewett Tolman
Salmon, Idaho, Benjamin Hewett Tolman No. 3
Post Office Box K-94, B. Hewett Tolman
Phone 145-W, B. H. Tolman Jr
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